Mobile support for flexible power supplying elements



Oct. 16, 1951 w. s. CHAPIN, JR 2,571,832

MOBILE SUPPORT FOR FLEXIBLE POWER SUPPLYING ELEMENTS Filed Feb. 25, 1949 mvew-ro "TOME-Yd Patented Oct. 16, 1951 MOBILE SUPPORT FOR FILEXIBLEPOWER T'SUPBLYING ELEMENTS William S." Cliapin, 'Jr., Muskegon 'Heights,'jMich., passignor' to Manning, Maxwell & Moore, 1 Inc., -Muskegon,*l\l:ich., a corporation of'New Jersey gApplicationfFebruary 23, 1949, Serial N0.- 77,'966

'1 Claim. :1 ,The invention relatestto traversingi'hoists and comparable power-driven apparatus adapted to ..travel .on overheadirunways or tracks and to receive its power ..supply by way of a flexible element such as a conductor. cable oranair hose,

and it is more, particularly concerned with means ..for,suppor,ting and taking up slack in'ftheflexible element .by which powerislsupplied to the ap- ,paratus.

Oneobjectoflthe invention is to provide improved means of the above general character operative to support the flexible power supplying element in an out-or-the-wayposition and to keepitlfree ofrobjectionably sharplbends or kinks'in all positions of the traveling apparatus ywhilesubjecting the element to a minimum of tensional or otherstrains, andwhich isia'dapted for use witheither straight or curved tracks and capable of maintainingthe'fiexible element substantially alined with the track when used with the latter.

Another object is to providesupporting means utilizing a series of mobile carriers'a'dapted to grip the flexible element at relatively short intervals and operating onthe-apparatus supporting-track, thereby avoiding the 'necessity'ofinstalling auxiliary'tracksor guidewires with their added space requirements and extra costs.

Still another object is to provide an improved 'mobile "carrier unitfor supporting flexible power T supplying "elements which is universally adjustablefor use with 'overhead tracks of any size commonly employed, which can be installed quickly. and easily in existing track systems, and :Whichiswery simple inrconstruction :andinexpensiveto'manufacture.

Other objects and advantagesof'the invention willv become apparentlfrom the following; detailed description 1 of the preferred embodiment illustrated: in the-accompanying drawing, in-whichz Figure 1 is a fragmentary ,iperspective view of a traversing hoist installation equipped --with power element supporting =means-lembodying the features of the invention.

:Fig. 2,is aperspective view of, one of -the mobile carrier units of the supporting means.

Fig. 3 is an endviewtof themobileunit showing it adjustable'for operation onlaconventional overhead hoist track.

While theinvention is susceptible of various modifications and "alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawingsanjd will herein describein detail the preferred embodiment, vbut it is to be understood thatiI'do not'thereby intend to 1 limit "the invention to "the specificiform .disclosed, but intend to .cover all modifications and alternative .constructions falling within the .spirit andtscopelof the invention as-expressed inlthe appended claim.

For purposes of illustration the invention has been shown as supporting a flex-ible'power supplying .element in.thef-0rrn of a conductor cable 5 supplying power -.to an electrically-operated hoist 6. The hoistishown is of rthe conventional typeand issuspendedfiby a'hook 1 from a-carriage or trolley Badaptedto run=on-an-0verhead track formedby a beam-ID. The-beam- H],

:as shownpis a conventional I-beamhaving op- .posedlater-ally projecting flanges lI,-the lower ones of which constitute the track for the= carriage w8. In practicethe beam is suspended in a horizontal elevated position-and-may be either straight or curved as required by the particular .lenvironmentgin which it is installed.

The trolley .8 .shownby Way of illustration comprisesa pair of triangular side members l2 arrangedin inverted positions andconnected at inglthehoist. track.

In ithe exemplary embodiment of the invention, the powercable 5. isconnected atone-end itothe-hoist Stand at the other end .toiasuitable sourceof electric current, as, forrexample, the electrical system of .the shop or buildingtin Whi Ch thE hoist is-installed. The latterwendof the cable, that istheend-remote'from the-hoist,

is-also anchored to thebuilding wall or other stationary structure adjacent one end of the track. It will be understood ofcoursethatthe cable 5 is ofapproximatelyflthe same lengthlas the track so aslto allow the hoist trolleytotr-averse the full length of the'track.

In accordance with the invention, the.cable-5 is supported at relatively short intervals along its length by aseries of mobile carriers. is adapted to run'on thesame track as-.the carriage '8, :that is,.on the'ilanges H of the beam [0. -Withthis arrangement the carriers are pushed ltogether intoa compact group byvthe trolleyla aslitflappreaches the end of the trackatwhichl the power cable. is anchoredian'd are drawn-along in succession bythe trailing cable asthe trolleymoves toward the other end of the track. The-cable is'secured'to each carrier by meansof. aeclip I! mounted to permit swiveling movement about a verticalaxis, whereby the cahlemaybegathere'd riers.

in a series of relatively small, closely spaced loops disposed generally transversely of the track as the carriers come together. This allows the carriers to be moved into closely packed relation without producing sharp bends or kinks in the cable and the latter can straighten out without kinking as the carriers are spread apart. Dead space at the end of the track is thus reduced to a minimum.

The carriers l6 are all alike and are constructed so that they may be produced cheaply by simple die-forming and stamping operations. To sim-' plif-y manufacture and installation and to afford a wide range of adjustability for tracks of different widths, the carriers are preferably constructed of two similar, generally L-shaped members having horizontal legs and upright legs 2!. These L-shaped members are assembled with their horizontal legs 20 secured together in overlapping relation and theirupright legs 2! of the members are spaced apart laterally to straddle the track beam H]. Legs 2| carry wheels or rollers 22 adapted to run on the flanges ll of the track beam to afford easy movement of the carriers along the track.

To provide adjustability, the overlapping legs 20 of the frame members are secured together by bolts 23 extending through longitudinally disposed slots 24 formed in the legs. By loosening these bolts, the frame members can be shifted toward or from each other to space the rollers for proper engagement with the flanges of the beam of any width commonly used for hoist tracks. The bolts when tightened up retain this settin permanently.

- The adjustable construction above described is also advantageous in the installation of the car- Thus the frame members may be spread apart sufficiently to allow the rollers 22 to be slipped over the track flange at any point along the beam and the members may then be adjusted to proper spaced relation and rigidly clamped together.

Preferably the frame members are initially constructed with their horizontal legs 20 of a length such as to allow spacing of the rollers 22 sufliciently to cooperate with the flange of a track beam of the maximum width ordinarily employed for supporting hoists and comparable electrical apparatus. When a carrier is used with a relatively narrow track beam, the end portions of the horizontal legs 20 may be shortened to the extent required by removing a section therefrom. To facilitate such removal, the edges of the legs 20 are notched as at 25 to define a series of break lines spaced progressively from the ends of the legs.

To provide lateral clearance for the carrier, the frame members are formed so as to present the rollers 22 in inwardly spaced relation to the upright legs 2| of the members. For this purpose the upper end portion 26 of each leg 2| is ofiset inwardly from the leg. A suitably bushed screw 21 anchored in the end portion 26 serves as a shaft for the roller 22. When intended for operation with beams having tapered flanges, the roller-supporting portions 26 of the frame members are inclined outwardly, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to locate the screws 2! and the axes of the rollers 22 parallel to the bearing surfaces presented by the flanges.

Provision is made for preventing direct contact between the rollers 22 of the several carriers and between the roller of the end carrier of the group and the adjacent wheel N3 of the trolley 8 when the carriers are being pushed along the track by the trolley. For this purpose each roller 22 is provided with a guard 30 which may conveniently comprise an elongated flat metal bar secured to the upright leg of the frame member and having inwardly turned flanges 3| projecting at diametrically opposite sides of the roller. As the carriers come together these flanges engage each other as shown in Fig. 1, while the rollers remain separated and therefore free to turn with a minimum of friction.

As shown in Fig. 1, wheel guards are also provided on the trolley 8. These guards may conveniently comprise flat bars 32 supported on the side plates 12 of the trolley frame so as to project toward the carriers 16. A flange 33 at the outer'end of each bar 32 extends inwardly to overlie the adjacent wheel trolley l5 and engage the guard flange ti on the carrier roller guard nearest the trolley. Direct contact between the trolley wheels and carrier rollers is thus prevented.

The clip IT by which the cable 5 is connected to the carrier may be of any suitable construction. As herein shown the clip is constructed from a flat strip of resilient metal bent to provide a pair of laterally spaced cable-gripping fingers 35 connected at their upper ends by an integral crosspiece 36. The lower ends of the fingers are preferably bowed to conform generally to the contour of the cable and are adapted to be drawn together to clamp onto the cable by means of a clamping bolt extending through suitable apertures intermediate the ends of the-fingers.

To afiord the swiveling action required for the efficient coiling and uncoiling of the cable loops,

the clip I! is secured to the carrier I6 by means of a headed bolt 38 projecting through a clearance hole in the crosspiece 36 and through the alined slots 24 in the overlapping legs of the carrier frame members. By reason of its reception in the slots, the bolt may be adjusted transversely of the carrier to locate the clip in vertical alinement with the track upon which the carrier is supported. Nuts 39 threaded on the bolt on opposite sides of the legs 20 secure the bolt in adjusted position.

In practice, suflicient carriers are provided to support the cable at relatively short intervals so that the intervening cable section is held out of the Way of persons working under or passing below the track. As the trolley 8 approaches the end of the track adjacent which the cable 5 is anchored, the guards 33 engage the corresponding guards 3| of the first carrier and push it along. Succeeding carriers, in turn, are engaged progressively until all are pushed into a compact group at the end of the track. Due to the swivel mounting of the cable-gripping clips H, the cable is permitted to swing so that the loops between adjacent clips are disposed generally transversely of the track. This eliminates sharp bends or kinks in the cable and reduces to a minimum the space required at the end of the track for accommodation of the cable and associated carriers.

As the trolley 8 moves toward the other end of the track, the cable 5 trails along and pulls the carrier l6 ahead progressively until the cable is fully extended. .Here again the swiveling actions of the clips I! are advantageous in allowing the cable to straighten out without kinking. The rollers provided on the carriers and the guards associated therewith assure free movement of the carriers at all times, thus minimizing tensional or other strains on the cable.

I claim as my invention:

A mobile carrier for supporting the flexible power supplying element of power-driven apparatus mounted on a carriage operating on an overhead track, said carrier having a frame comprising a pair of L-shaped members assembled with their horizontal legs in overlapping relation and secured together by through bolts, said horizontal legs being slotted longitudinally to accommodate said bolts and permit relative shifting of the members for varying the spacing of their upright legs, an element-gripping clip, and means securing said clip to the assembled members, said securing means engaging in said slots and being adjustable therein into centered relation with respect to the upright legs of the members.

WILLIAM S. CHAPIN, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,408,248 Bee Feb. 28, 1922 1,488,651 Schumacher Apr. 1, 1924 1,518,851 Thumberg et al. Feb. 22, 1927 2,205,665 Peters June 25, 1940 2,416,352 Seward Feb. 25, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 121,494 Austria Feb. 25, 1931 

